Power,
time and internet
Well today for some of
my followers I know is the 4th July. So happy 4th of July to you!!!. July has
come in the blink of an eye. SO much has and is going on here in TZ. For those
of you who are not American, may you enjoy the celebrations and cultures of others
around you.
Let me back step to June
a little...
I want to share with you
some of what I find to be the hilarity of living in Tanzania. For me right now
the hilarity of this place is the power chase or really should I say the lack
of power.... and the Internet!!!
June was a really busy
time for me as I had 3 major assignments due all around the same time. This
should be simple right. Go lock yourself away and get it done!!! Well this
particular week of June the power decided to cut off. The Internet bundle that
I had cut off, and on top of all of this my car was in to be fixed.
Ok Ok OK.. I thought,
God you surly do have a sense of humour, as this is not the first time this
kind of thing has happened to me.
I get into a dala dala
(Local bus) and catch it to town, where I go to several different coffee shops
only to find that they too have the same problem as me... NO power and NO Internet.
As I stop, I have to think on the spot where can I go that will have both power
and Internet all at the same time?????? All the while in the back of my mind I
am thinking I am wasting time, precious time that I should be using to write
papers, BUT instead I’m racing around town chasing after power and Internet. I
truly do have to stop and breathe.
God I say YOU have a
plan in this. I am sure you can see the hilarity of this. What is it that you
want me to learn??? I have felt like the lord has been trying to teach me...
something.... perhaps a lesson???? AHH yes.. A lesson in letting go. A lesson
in giving it back to him. A lesson in learning to see the joy in the situations
that I feel have none. So really he has been teaching me many lessons... The
more I trust in his words the more I can lean back and know that he is the one
who needs to take full charge of my life, not just the parts that I want to
give him.
So cutting the many long
stories that have all been rolled into one, shorter for you the reader, did I
get it done? Did it all come together?
The answer to all of this
is YES, and the reason it is YES is because I know that God is bigger than my
own thoughts. I just had to trust him. I got all 3 of my works completed, after
sitting for many hours straight, i'm sure at times the owner of the coffee shop
looked oddly at me to see if I would really stay ALL day at the place... The
answer was YES. I did stay many hours in that one place at the coffee
shop.
These days, as I study I
am becoming quickly aware of what internet is fast in places and what is slow
(This is due to the times that at my house we have no power, or my 'smile'
internet 4g is suppost to run fast when really often at times it just cuts
out).
I have truly looked back
over this last year and wondered how I actually did survive submitting works
with at times horrible power, lack of internet and even worse before having a
computer that would die with the power cuts too.
I am thankful that I
have now got a computer that lasts for longer than the amount of time with
power and that the battery will hold for a good length of time.
I truly am thankful
though as I reflect back for Jesus being the centre of it all. I am thankful
that I even have several coffee shops and places that I can go if the power and
Internet fail at my house. I am thankful that I live in a community where
friends have offered for me to come to their house to work so that I could get
things done. I am thankful regardless of all of the power cuts and lack of Internet
that I have access to this technology.
I think and reflect back
to 2008 when I came here, and the Internet was even worse than what it is now,
as too was the power. I remember most nights there would be NO power; Skype was
not even something that could be used let alone the other cool technologies
that are now readily available.
It makes me stop in my
tracks and just marvel at Jesus. This is exactly what he is. MY power sauce.
But the AMAZING part is that his connection wont cut off. He won’t just leave
me in my midst or cut off just because. I have that endless power supply. The provider
to all of my needs... This too I am humbled by and often stopped by. He cares
enough about me. His sauce is my light.
SO what next????? Well
my studies are still going, and I am hoping to be done by the end of next year,
then adding on an extra year while working again full time.
In the meantime...
I have been seeking the
lord on how to get my practicums completed for part of my studies, and as I
looked more into detail it was apparent that completing my practicum in
Tanzania was not possible, I will already be doing another practicum in
Australia when I return.
As God works in his
amazing ways, the plan he has for me was different to what I could see (Dont
worry I am not leaving Tanzania).
An amazing opportunity
came up, one that I thought would not be possible, to go to do a 25 day
practicum in the United States. My ticket is being covered as is
accommodation... while helping a friend with her daughter in the evenings and
weekends, still being able to study, but learning and growing from a new
culture and educational system for the short time. I began looking into
centre's and after much prayer, emailing and phone calls I have been accepted
into a centre for the 25 days. I will work for a centre in the States am
thankful that I have found a centre that I can do this placement at. I will
leave on Monday 14th July and return back to Tanzania on the 1st
September. I will return to Tanzania at the end of the practicum where I will
pick up working with my small groups of children in Phonics and
Mathematics.
I have been able to
watch these children grow and develop confidence in both areas, reading words
and answering questions.
My plan is to still
return at the end of October, where I will stay for a duration of up to 5
months.
During this time back in
Australia I would love to connect with people through church groups, youth
groups, schools and any other fun ways that we can share together some of the
amazing things that God has been and continues to do in my life serving here in
Tanzania, as well as hearing from each of you.
I would love to connect
with your church. If you think your church would be interested in hearing a
real live missionary then send me an email, and I would love to make the time
to come visit. I am asking this now as I know that by the end of the year
things get busy.
If you have forgotten my
email here it is again: greeningcarly@gmail.com
For our connection is at
the vine which is the centre of where God is in and through each one of us. I
love the thought of being connected and cant wait to reunite with each of you
at different times.
I again want to say
lastly before signing off another humbled thank you (Which really does not seem
even ever enough) to each of you who continually to believe in me and support
me in the ways that make being a missionary possible. Please know that the
amounts in which you are giving are going towards things like fresh food,
internet to connect with you all and to do university studies, base rent a
place to live, phone credit to connect with people and much much more. Please
be encouraged that you are each encouraging me personally as I walk this
journey of faith.
Until I write again next
time. Enjoy your power, connect with me, and enjoy a coffee or a tea!!!!
